French Onion Meatballs

2 lb yellow onions; halved and sliced thinly 
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
6 oz Gruyère cheese; grated
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine (single serve bottle)
32 oz beef broth
1 tsp balsamic or sherry vinegar

10 UNCOOKED Meatballs from Meatball Salad recipe

Arrange oven rack 8-10 inches from the broiler. Heat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place meatballs on pan and bake on the middle rack until browned and cooked through or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball registers 165°F, about 20 minutes. When done, remove from oven and set aside.

Melt butter in a broiler-safe, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium low heat. Add the onions, 1 tablespoon of the thyme, kosher salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon and reducing the heat if the onions start to burn, until the onions have reduced by over half, are very soft, and deep golden-brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir until the flour is completely incorporated and leaves a film on the bottom of the skillet and begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add dry white wine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Continue to stir until the wine is evaporated, about 1 minute.

Add  20-30 oz of beef broth and whisk to combine. Increase the heat back to medium if it was lowered while cooking the onions. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add balsamic or sherry vinegar and stir to combine. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed.

Set the oven to broil. Transfer the meatballs to the sauce. Gently stir to coat the meatballs  then spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with the Gruyère cheese.

Transfer the skillet to oven and broil until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with the remaining thyme leaves and serve with crusty bread, if desired.

Grilled Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

1.4 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs

salt

pepper

salt and pepper both sides of chicken thighs. Preheat grill on highest level for 10 minutes; reduce to medium high. Grill chicken for 4 minutes; flip and grill for 4 minutes; flip and grill for 4 minutes;  flip and grill for 4 minutes. Remove and cover with foil for 5 minutes.

Prime Beef Sliders

6  2 oz Prime Beef sliders

3 slices American cheese

salt

pepper

salt and pepper both sides of sliders. Preheat grill on highest level for 10 minutes; reduce to medium high. Grill sliders for 4 minutes; flip and grill for 4 minutes; flip and grill for 2 minutes;  flip add cheese and grill for 2 minutes. Remove and cover with foil for 5 minutes.

味噌サーモン (Miso Salmon)

2 skin-on salmon fillets 4-6 oz each
2 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp sake
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp soy sauce
¼ tsp toasted sesame oil

In a large bowl, mix the marinade ingredients: 2 tbsp miso, 1 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp soy sauce and ¼ tsp toasted sesame oil. 

Place the salmon in the bowl with the marinade, skin side up. Spoon the marinade on the salmon, coating the sides and skin. Cover and refrigerate for 1–3 hours.

Turn on broiler with the cooking rack 9 inches away from the heating element. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Use cooking spray if sticking is a concern. It isn’t. 

Remove the salmon from marinade wiping any excess off completely. Miso burns.

Place the salmon skin side down on the baking sheet. Broil the salmon until desired doneness, roughly 11–14 minutes. Do not flip the salmon during broiling. Remove, plate and if desired garnish with thinly sliced scallions and toasted white and black sesame seeds.

Tomato Toast with Blue Cheese Butter

2 oz blue cheese
4 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic

salt

pepper

bread

tomatoes

herbs

Using a fork, smash together 2 oz. mild blue cheese, room temperature, and 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, in a small bowl. 

Using a Microplane, finely grate in 1 garlic clove. Add a small pinch of kosher salt and season with freshly ground pepper. 

Spread blue cheese butter over 4 thick slices of bread, toasted, and top with 2 large heirloom tomatoes, sliced; season with sea salt and more pepper, and top with a scattering of coarsely chopped mixed tender herbs.

Blue cheese butter can be made 1 week ahead; cover, chill, and bring to room temp before using.

Jammy Eggs

6 extra-large eggs
water

ice

In a large bowl, add about 3 cups of ice to about a quart of cold water. In a covered sauce pan, bring enough water to cover eggs to a boil. Add eggs to boiling water with a slotted spoon. Simmer covered for 10 minutes. Remove eggs and plunge into ice batch for 15 minutes. Dry and store in air tight container in refrigerator. Peel when ready to eat.

Houston Dairy Maids

 

Muhumarra

1 large fresh red bell pepper, roasted or 8 oz jarred roasted red bell pepper
3-4 scallions, chopped
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp sumac or Za’tar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
3 tsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes
5 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
6 tbsp fresh bread crumbs

If using fresh bell peppers, Char on all sides directly on the burner of a gas stove or roast at 400 degrees until blistered all over. Transfer to a bowl until cool enough to handle, then peel off the skin and remove seeds and stem. Roughly chop pepper.

Combine bell pepper, scallions, lemon juice, cumin, salt, 2 tsp pomegranate molasses, 1/2 tsp pepper flakes, 4 tsp olive oil and all but 2 of the walnuts in a food processor and purée until mostly smooth. For best results, drizzle olive oil in while processor is running. 

Add 4 tablespoons bread crumbs and pulse to combine. If mixture is still too loose to hold its shape, add remaining bread crumbs and pulse again. Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes.

Spread mixture into a shallow serving bowl, making a well in the center with the back of a spoon. Drizzle 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp pomegranate molasses and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes in the well. Crush the reserved walnuts between your fingers and sprinkle over the top.

House Salad

hearts of Romaine; sliced crosswise 1/2”

Compari tomato; cut in wedges

fresh strawberry; cut in wedges

English cucumbers; peeled, sliced in 1/4” half-moons

roasted pecans

Roquefort cheese; crumbled

Valentina Salad Dressing

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Za’atar seasoning

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried parsley

1 tbsp honey

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp Valentina Salsa Picante

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a glass 4 cup measuring cup, whisk together vinegar, Za’tar, oregano, parsley, honey, lemon juice, Valentina, garlic powder, salt and pepper until well combined. Keep whisking and drizzle olive oil slowly to emulsify it in the vinegar. Allow to sit 20-30 minutes before using. Dress salad.